How You Can Keep Maintain Your Beauty

New research commissioned by Diet Pills Watchdog suggests that we are a nation of reluctant exercisers.

When questioned on the subject of working out, 14 per cent of respondents admitted they never exercise.

Nearly a quarter (20 per cent) said they only do so because of doctor’s orders. While it is clearly positive that people are listening to medical professionals, it is of concern that they need to have this as an incentive to get moving.

Jog on

Possibly because it is free and can be done pretty much anywhere there is an outside space, jogging came up as the most popular sport. It was cited by one in five respondents to the Diet Pills Watchdog research.

Some 18 per cent swim said they regularly, while 13 per cent prefer to get on a bicycle.

Weight loss through exercise

The vast majority of those who exercise (66 per cent) said they do so to lose weight.

New research from the University College of Cork has shed light on how working out may help to prevent obesity. The study revealed those who take a lot of exercise have more good bacteria in their guts. This is relevant because there is a link between obese people and a reduced variation in gut bacteria.

For the purposes of the research, stool and blood samples were taken from professional rugby players and healthy men who were not professional athletes, half of whom were classed as obese, half of whom were not.

The researchers found the athletes had a better metabolism than those with a high Body Mass Index. They also discovered those who were within a healthy weight range had a better balance of bacteria in their guts.

Diet counts

During the study, participants were also asked to monitor their food intake. Perhaps unsurprisingly, professional athletes ate much more fruit and vegetables, had fewer snacks and consumed more protein than those in the comparison group.

This just highlights the fact that diet and exercise combined are what makes a difference to a person’s weight and overall health.

Diet Pills Watchdog research bears out the importance of diet when it comes to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

While many people seem to understand the link, the reality is much harder to achieve, with the statistics showing just ten per cent of people believe their diet is good.

Some 60 per cent of those questioned said they fell off the diet bandwagon after succumbing to sugary snacks. A further 23 per cent admitted they are often tempted by sweets.

Just ten per cent of those asked said they believed their diet was good.

Nearly a quarter (20 per cent) of respondents admitted they had tried a celebrity diet and four per cent had begun a diet because of an advert they had seen on TV.

So, while it seems that as a nation we have all the right intentions, following through on them is not so easy.

Tempted by diet pills

Perhaps unsurprisingly – given the number of people who quit their healthy eating plans – 70 per cent of us are open to the idea of trying diet pills.